THE HURRICANE
US, 1999, 146 minutes, Colour.
Denzel Washington, John Hannah, Deborah Kara Unger, Liev Schreiber, Vicellous Reon Shannon, David Paymer, Dan Hadeya, Harris Yulin, Clancy Brown, Rod Steiger.
Directed by Norman Jewison.
The Hurricane is based on the autobiography of Rubin Carter as well as a book by some of the Toronto group who supported him, Lazarus and the Hurricane. Bob Dylan's ballad also features.
Denzel Washington won several awards (Golden Globe, Berlin Festival) for his powerful performance. Washington has great screen presence and brings it to his portrayal of a man who is innocent, who has been victimised most of his life, who had a chance for rehabilitation but who was trapped in prejudice and the American justice system, who found inner strength while keeping people away from him, who almost gave up, but who finally found a new and free life.
Direction is by Norman Jewison, a director with 40 years of experience and the widest range of movies, including Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ, Superstar, Agnes of God, A Soldier's Story, Moonstruck and a Sidney Poitier vehicle which was influential in the 60s on race issues, Oscar Best Film of 1967, In the Heat of the Night. (Rod Steiger won his Oscar for this movies and he reunites with Jewison here as the judge who gives his verdict in favour of Carter.)
The movie is long, spans over twenty years of Carter's adult life, uses the prison and courtroom conventions. While Vicellous Roan Shannon is very good as Lezra, the young man who wrote to Carter, the Toronto group are not as strongly sketched as might be. But, it is a fine, 'inspirational' movie.
1.The film based on a true story, the autobiography of Hurricane Carter? The book by the Canadians, Lazarus and the Hurricane, by Sam Chaiton and Terry Swinton. The use of the Bob Dylan song? The credits and the focus on Carter as a fighter? In prison and his desperation in 1973? The authenticity of the story as it unfolded?
2.The film as a morale booster? The plight of Reuben Carter, his experiences, championship, his being a victim of racial prejudice, the experience of prison, overcoming it and making a life for himself after so long and so much suffering?
3.The re-creation of the atmosphere of the '40s and '50s and Carter's childhood? The '60s and his fighting? The crime and the arrest? The '70s and '80s and his experience in prison? The contrast with the world of New York? With the world of Canada and his supporters?
4.The structure of the screenplay: the credits and his boxing career, the prison seen in 1973, the shift backwards and forwards? The introduction of the theme of Lesra and the Canadians and moving around in time? The final flashbacks to the crime?
5.The portrait of Carter as a boy, his friends, school, home? The encounter with the paedophile and his violent reaction? The other boys, the police taking him, his not speaking out, his being judged as guilty? His going into institutions, the institutional life, running away? Della Pesca and his attitude towards Carter, the beginning of hounding him and allegedly wanting justice to be done?
6.Carter getting out of the institution, his other experiences in jail? His military service and its effect on him? The return, meeting friends, meeting Mae and falling in love with her? The wedding, the family? Yet the atmosphere of prejudice, especially from the police?
7.His skill in boxing, the effort and the training? The fights, managers? The staging of the fights? His winning? His losing and being a victim of prejudice? The effects on him? On the media, on the public?
8.The possibility of domestic happiness, his courting of Mae, marrying, bringing up a family? The violence and the attack on the house? Mae and her support? His finally asking her to separate, to divorce? His inability to share his suffering with her and the child?
9.The aftermath of the fight, at the nightclub, enjoying himself, John Artis offering to drive him? The arrest, the interrogation, going back to the bar, the witnesses not corroborating that they were guilty? The visualising of the crime - the victims, the people in the bar, the men and their shooting, going off in the white car? The witnesses and the possibility of giving testimony accurately or not?
10.Della Pesca and his investigation, pressure on the witnesses, finance, reputation? Decades later and the revelation of the truth, the documents? The falsification of signatures and time issues?
11.Going to trial, the lawyers, the justice of the situation, the effect of the white jury in court?
12.The character of Reuben Carter and Denzel Washington's performance? A man of dignity after the troubled childhood he had, being institutionalised, the army, his boxing career cut short? The sentence, the effect on John Artis? The arrival at the prison, the issue of the clothes, the talk with the warden, his going into the hole and the beginning of his suffering? The time in the hole, the darkness, the food, toilet? The humiliation and the smell?
13.Emerging from the hole, beginning his sentence, wanting a compromise, the guard and the suggestion about the pyjamas? His support from the guard? The years passing?
14.Life in prison, his angers and outbursts, his being quiet, not conforming? Studying the law, his appeals and their failure? Divorcing his wife? The importance of his spirituality, inner centredness, humanity? The writing and publishing of his autobiography?
15.Lesra and the group in Canada, wanting to support him? His parents and their reaction to his study and going? His wanting to go to college? Learning to read? The group: Terry, Sam and Lisa? Their keeping house together, their social work? Lesra and his support, buying the book, reading it, the effect on him, the effect on the others?
16.The characters of the three - how well delineated, in themselves, their causes, service of others, friendship?
17.Lesra and his decision to write to Carter? Carter receiving the letter, reading it, its effect? Allowing the visit? Lesra and his going through the procedures to go into the prison, tentative with Carter, their talk, giving of advice?
18.The continued contact, the communication, the presents? The group going to New York to work for Carter? Visiting him, his wariness? Afraid of do-gooders? The detail of their investigation, the discovery of the lies? Their charts, documentation?
19.The breakthroughs in the investigation, the information? The visits and the interrogation, issues of signatures, reports? Going to visit officials, widows and other members of the family? The death threats and the bombing of their own car?
20.The effect on Carter, his hope? The importance of the phone call where he confessed that he didn't have the inner strength to go on?
21.The dilemma of the appeals? The two lawyers and their support over the years, their skills, pro bono work? The decision of Carter himself to go to the Supreme Court? The risks of losing completely - and going outside the jurisdiction of New Jersey? The reaction of the New Jersey police, in court, Della Pesca and the others in court?
22.The judge, his stressing the demands of the law, his consideration of the case, Carter's decision and appeal to him? His decision, its effect?
23.The justice being done? Carter being released? Finding a life after the trials? The continued hostility of Della Pesca and the police?
24.Issues of the wrong man and the law and imprisonment? The effect of one's past on one's life? Carter transcending his background as boxer, in his spirituality? His complete low point and yet his revival? His life after release - symbol of hope?
